The Future of Forklifts Business

Technology trends like big data, smart products, cloud computing and connectivity are undoubtedly shaping the future of forklift technology and materials handling. Consequently, forklifts (and the technology surrounding the use of this equipment) are rapidly becoming one of the most innovative pieces of equipment that are involved in almost every warehouse operation. Generally speaking, forklifts available today are far more advanced than similar vehicle which were seen at warehouses a decade ago. Modern forklifts possess more computing power and include various advanced technologies that are improving the efficiency and performance of the trucks.

The outburst of technology in automobiles and consumer products is fuelling quite a few inquiries from people. The modern customer wants to know about proven technologies that can offer measurable ROI. People are constantly seeking opportunities and business prospects in forms of sustainability, energy management, cloud computing and automation.

Technology Improvements in the Pipeline

In the future, forklifts with more enhanced, on-board technology are expected to enter the market. They are anticipated to improve the operator productivity and allow automation and connectivity. Moreover, people are expecting increased forklift connectivity in the future that will offer greater visibility into the warehouse environment, product movement and operator productivity. We are probably going to see transformative products. However, it is very rare to see a complex solution to last very long. We are most definitely going to witness technologies making the operations simpler for the customers.

For instance, let’s consider the connection to the management systems of the warehouses. How do vehicles, like forklifts, connect to those, and how do the management systems benefit from it? That is an area that is going to be further developed and enhanced during the next decade. Consumers are expected to become more comfortable enabling more wireless traffic in their facilities. Presently, it is not easy since it is the major part of their operation. Therefore, finding different ways to make that particular connection of greatest value rather than a huge risk is going to be incredibly important.

While early adopters are evaluating the potential of automating forklifts in real-world conditions, there are quite a few issues to be addressed, e.g. service responsibility and sensor durability. The best thing about this industry, however, is that manufacturers continue to invest in research and development of forklifts in order to move technology forward.

 

Flying High – Accountancy doesn’t have to be boring!

Most people consider an accountants life to be a boring one, all work and no play. Do you know what though? I would have to disagree with that now. Just recently, I got the option of taking on a new account and, as part of my service, I visited the client’s premises.

I like to do this because it gives me a feel for what they do and how they operate their business. It also tells me whether I should take up the offer of becoming their accountant or not.  Well, this business just happened to be one that sells remote control helicopters and gives lessons on how to fly them.

Flight to Success

Having never been around this kind of thing before, at least not this close, I thought it would be interesting to see exactly what goes on in the world of the remote control helicopter enthusiast.  I was surprised; I thought it would be a waste of my time but I could not believe what was involved.

Do you know how difficult it is to fly a remote control helicopter? Let me tell you, it is not for the faint-hearted.  Buying the kit and building it is the easy bit. To fly it? I could almost swear you need a pilot’s license to do it. Yes, they did let me have a go, under heavy supervision of course!

A Real Eye-Opener

Needless to say, I took on that account and got myself a new hobby while I was at it. I was hooked. I decided, as any good accountant does, that I should do a little bit of homework about the business and looked up rc helicopter reviews at http://www.rchelicopterhobbyist.com.

This website gave me a lot of useful insight. The information I gained helps me to be able to understand my client’s accounting system better, to understand why there might be high losses and what appears to be little profit sometimes. It helped me to see exactly what is involved in this type of business and how best I could serve my new client.

I also found this post, telling me what the best remote control helicopter was. I know what will be on my wish list for Christmas this year!

Why Business Owners Should Look Into Hiring Bookkeepers and Accountants

When it comes to small business, owners typically love getting hands on with every aspect of it. This is actually good, business owners need to be able to understand how each part of their business works. This enables them to quickly solve problems their enterprise encounters. Unfortunately, though, getting too hands on can actually be bad, and this is especially the case when one’s business has grown much bigger. Many business owners think that they should continue being heavily involved with each part of their business even when it has become too impractical. This leads to their business actually losing so much money instead of gaining a lot more. When one’s small business has grown to a considerable size, it is important for one to start delegating tasks to other people; when it comes to accounting and bookkeeping, one should have them done by certified professionals.

Many business owners don’t realize this, but by hiring certified professional bookkeepers and accountants, they are actually able to save a lot more money in the long run. Through the help of such professionals, business owners are able to avail of many tax incentives. In addition to this, business owners who delegate their bookkeeping and accounting to experts are able to avoid incurring penalties with different financial organizations. Also, when it’s not tax season, bookkeepers and accountants can still help business owners by acting as financial advisors to them.

Just how much money can a business owner save by hiring certified accountants and bookkeepers? On the average, Toronto business owners save around a few thousand dollars a year through the help of such professionals. When one thinks about this, one realizes that the cost of hiring professionals is nothing compared to results they produce. Of course, in addition to making one’s business earn more, delegating work to certified accountants and bookkeepers leads to one having more time to concentrate on the more crucial aspects of one’s business.

“When it comes to bookkeeping Toronto business owners trust only one company. I was curious as to how hiring them would improve my business, so I ended up hiring them just to see what would happen to my business with their help. I ended up being greatly amazed at what they were able to do for it. Aside from helping me avail of many different incentives for my business and thus save money, I was able to devote more time to improving the service I give to my customers. Thanks to the bookkeeping company’s help, I was able to improve the reputation of my business as well as its earnings,” Michael McPearson, Business Owner, ON

Hopefully, what I have written here will prove helpful to business owners who are still struggling with their bookkeeping and accounting. If you find that such tasks are already taking way too much of your time, you should definitely look into hiring an accountant and a bookkeeper Toronto citizens trust. By doing so, you will surely be able to improve the way you conduct your business. I can assure you, no business owner in Toronto has ever regretted leaving their bookkeeping and accounting to the hands of certified professionals.

The Cost of Employee Scheduling

The largest budget line for most business owners is wages. After all, people are the most important and thus the costliest resource in any organization. A serious analysis of the actual scheduling of employees is in order to make sure there are no unnecessary workforce costs.

An accountant is a good resource for reviewing staffing models, especially if there is shift work. For example, accountants can help management figure out the cost effectiveness of extra shifts, overtime necessary to meet project deadlines and whether or not positions need to be full time. Operational managers understand the work to be done and exactly what kind of employee is needed. However, it is the financial people who can ask the tough questions about the number of staff needed to do certain jobs and the need for overtime.

Accountants can also push the managers to think about optimal use of work space. For example, it might be more cost effective to have morning and evening shifts use one set of workstations, than have both work teams in at the same time, requiring twice the space. Even if there are not going to be any radical changes, it is always good to have the questions out there for consideration.

Tracking hours worked is another area in which miscalculations can incur heavy expenses. Whether it is an honor system, time clocks or sign in sheets, it is easy for supervisors to lose track of regular hours, time off, and overtime hours. There needs to be a reliable system for tracking as each hour is worth dollars.

Yes, there are manual systems which appear to stay on top of all the schedules and any changes. However, there are technology solutions which can take care of many of these concerns for less cost and with greater reliability than staff. An employee scheduling software package has proven its worth in many commercial and nonprofit organizations.

Some of the advantages of such software are:

  • ensure adequate manpower is available when work is done during traditional downtime; e.g. evenings, weekends
  • ensure a full complement of specialized staff is on duty when needed as many employees are not interchangeable; e.g. a ward clerk cannot replace a nurse or an IT staff cannot replace a social worker
  • accommodate both planned and unexpected changes in the workforce with a current list of employee availability; e.g. sickness, vacation, or a sudden death in a family
  • produce query specific reports which can be used for planning staffing; e.g. emerging trend in increased production last month of each quarter
  • generate accurate, up to date attendance reports which indicate rate of pay for each hour or shift

Such scheduling software is particularly useful in a unionized environment or there is complete transparency. The system is designed so the records are complete, accurate, and up to date. It is easy to produce reports if there are any challenges to the accuracy of an employee’s pay.

Any accountant or financial manager would be pleased to discuss the cost benefits of installing and implementing employee scheduling software. Most operational managers would be quick to acknowledge the advantages both in ensuring a workforce on duty and in managing costs. Such a solution is a win-win for everyone involved.

Creative Ways to Find Money for Clients

If your practice is anything like mine then you have a fair number of clients who turn to you expecting you to pull a money rabbit out of a hat. For some reason they think accountants can just “find” money places. Sometimes they get really upset when they you inform them that’s not the case. I recently had a client yell “what am I paying you for!” and storm out of my office when he found out he didn’t have enough money for a down payment on a yacht. He must have figured out I was telling the truth because he called to apologize a few days later and is still a client.

However, there are instances when you are able to help clients find money that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tax Planning. For most of us this is our bread and butter. If we can help our clients save some money on their taxes they’ll keep coming back to us year after year. If your client gets a raise or changes jobs make sure to help them update their federal withholdings. Doing so will ensure the correct amount of tax gets taken out of each paycheck and they don’t end up with a sizable tax bill at the end of the year. Also make sure they’re taking advantage of a flexible benefit plan which will help them save considerable money on payroll taxes especially if they have a lot of health related costs during the year. Managing these two options alone will ensure your client receives a tax refund which they will surely thank you for.

Structured Settlement Loans. If you have a client that’s receiving a structured settlement you can help them cash it out to receive a lump sum payout. Obviously this option isn’t for everyone but if a client needs cash for a down payment on a house or to start a business this can be a great opportunity. Be careful to go over all the pros and cons to make sure they understand that they won’t be receiving their settlement payments anymore, or at least for a set period of time, but that they can use the funds for anything they like. If you’re looking for some documentation of structured settlement loans you can follow this guide.

Check The State’s Unclaimed Assets Database. Each state maintains a database of funds that were meant to go to someone but for whatever reason the payer could not locate the payee. For example, if a client lived in an apartment and paid a utility deposit when moving in but didn’t provide the power company with a forwarding address when leaving, the deposit might make its way into the unclaimed assets fund. The fund collects interest so if the deposit is 20 years old it could be worth considerably more now. The fund also includes unclaimed inheritances and other unclaimed insurance payouts so there’s always a chance you could find a sizable chunk of change. It’s unlikely, but worth a quick search.

There are plenty of other ways to find money for clients but these are some of my favorites. It always feels good to tell your client they have some money they didn’t expect to have.

Why You Should Consider Doing Binary Options Trading

Not many people realize this, but making money on the side doesn’t have to take so much of one’s time. One of the ways people can make a considerable amount of money on the side easily and without wasting a lot of time is by doing online trading. Over the past few years, more and more people have started doing online trading. In fact, a significant portion of the trader population is now composed of people who do online trading exclusively - this is because by doing online trading, people can already earn a significant amount of money just through the click of a mouse.

There are many forms of online trading, and some of them happen to prove more popular than others. The more popular financial instruments tend to be easier to deal with despite having the same high potential returns as the more complex financial instruments. One of these financial instruments happens to be binary options. Because it is very easy to learn binary options trading and because it tends to yield high returns, many people from all over the world are now engaging in it. The reason why I am actually writing this post is to talk about binary options trading. Hopefully, I get to make more people consider doing it as it is, in my opinion, the best financial instrument on the internet right now.

Unlike other forms of online trading, binary options trading only requires people to guess the rise and fall of asset values. No matter how much the values of assets go up or down, correct guesses always yield a fixed amount of earnings. Beginners to online trading prefer binary options over other kinds of financial instruments because they can make great money off of it right from the start; experts in trade, on the other hand, love to do binary options trading because it enables them to implement the best trading strategies easily and earn a lot of money as a result. Of course, there are still some considerations binary options traders must address before they attain long-term success in binary options trading; one of these considerations happens to be finding the best binary options broker.

Although there are many binary options brokerages out there, many of them are actually downright fraudulent or offer bad business deals despite being legitimate. In order to make great successes in binary options trading, a trader must be able to find a binary options brokerage they can do great business with on a long-term basis.

The good news is that one only has to do adequate research on the internet to be able to find the best binary options brokerage for them. A single Google search can reveal a couple of trustworthy websites that publish reviews of the services provided by different binary options brokerages. By going through these websites, any person can find a brokerage that offers deals that will surely appeal to them. If you are currently considering doing binary options trading, I highly suggest that you check out review websites first before doing business with any brokerage. By doing so, you will surely save yourself from having to deal with some trading problems later on. Binary options is easy to do - so long as one works with a great brokerage and one has enough knowledge of global/economic issues to predict the rise and fall of asset values, one will surely be able to profit from it easily.

The Role of Annuities in Retirement Financial Planning

A person who is in retirement or nearing retirement age will need to make some decisions about the management of their retirement nest egg. One way to use the money is by purchasing an annuity that will convert the nest egg into a steady stream of payments that a person can use throughout his or her retirement. There are a number of advantages of choosing an annuity for a retired person to consider.

Guaranteed Payment Amounts

Most investment choices have risk, yet an annuity offers a person a guaranteed payment amount. In most cases, a retired person who chooses to buy an annuity will receive a set monthly payment for as long as he or she lives. Most annuities also provide a guaranteed payout amount if a person would pass away soon after purchasing the annuity.

Peace of Mind

Annuities offer retirees peace of mind as the money in the annuity is fully guaranteed. Unlike stocks and bonds that can decline in value, an annuity’s value is protected by both the financial strength of the insurance company as well as the backing of a state insurance association. The purchase of an annuity also removes one of the greatest financial fears of retirement: running out of money. Before you purchase an annuity make sure you run it through using a formula to calculate the annuity in present day dollars. This will be the only way to determine if the annuity makes financial sense.

Steady Stream of Income

Financial planning is one of the most difficult parts of retirement. However, the guaranteed payments from an annuity can help a retiree to craft a budget and make wise spending decisions. With an annuity, a retiree will know how much can be spent on various expenses such as a mortgage, rent or automobile payment without worrying about whether or not money will be available in future years to make the payment. The money will come in the door each month without you having to worry about it.

Tax Planning

Annuities purchased with after tax dollars will result in payments that are not subject to income taxes, with the exception of the small portion of the payment derived from interest. This means that a retired person with an annuity will not need to worry about rising tax rates significantly impacting his or her payment amounts. Conversely, retirees with money invested in the stock market will need to worry about tax changes that may impact his or her retirement income. As always, you would want to consult with your CPA before making any decisions, but in the meantime here is a good writeup on annuities and taxation.

Simple Management

Annuities do not require constant management like other types of investments. Once an annuity is chosen, the owner of the policy does not need to make changes with the investment. This means that instead of choosing stocks and bonds, monitoring returns and rebalancing portfolios, retirees with an annuity can spend more time relaxing and enjoying life.

Though financial planning can be complicated and stressful, the decision to purchase an annuity has a number of advantages over other retirement options. An annuity can provide a person with the income needed to relax and to have an enjoyable retirement.

5 Steps to Start Recycling in Your Business

Nowadays, who has not yet heard of the collective move of businesses towards environment-friendliness? Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also where the gold lies. It can generate profits for your business and also build the public image of your business.

One way of assuring that your business is not harming the environment is through recycling. Contrary to the popular notion that recycling can be very expensive, you will actually get considerable business benefits from employing a good recycling program.

So how will you actually start to implement a recycling program in your business? Here are five simple steps you can carry out:

  1. Know your waste. First, you have to assess what wastes and how much of it are being generated from your business. Do you generate a lot of paper, plastic, glass, or even e-wastes.
  2. Know what wastes you want to recycle. Decide if you want to recycle papers, cardboards, glasses, plastics, metals, or e-wastes.
  3. Set policies and guidelines on recycling. Come up with a sensible and doable recycling strategy for your business. It can be as simple as setting up trash bins in your office and informing your employees of the materials that you aim to recycle.
  4. Choose a recycling option. There are a lot of recycling options available to businesses like yours. There are community drop-off sites where you can dispose of unlimited amount of recyclable materials. When you have collected a serious amount of recyclable materials, you can ask for the assistance of waste disposal companies to deliver these materials to drop-off sites. You can always check out a dumpster rental website for information on dumpster rental prices and services like http://www.DumpsterRentalZone.com/. These services can come in handy especially if you have a lot of wastes to dispose of. There are also recycling programs for small businesses that offer to collect your wastes right at your doorstep.
  5. Monitor the effects. As in any other action plans, monitoring the effects of recycling on your business is a must. This will show you if the action gives you benefits or if it actually hurts your business. Recycling is almost always guaranteed to reduce waste management expenses for your business. It may also generate revenues depending on your recycling plan.

Now that you have these five simple steps, you too can start being a green entrepreneur now.